How Treadmill Running Helped Me Through Pregnancy and Motherhood as an Athlete.
Running has always been such an important part of my life, not just for working towards goals, but for the benefits it brings to physical and mental wellbeing.
Treadmill running is a key part of my training, and although I love the great outdoors, the treadmill brings so many advantages to my running. It provides so much flexibility and control as well as helping with injury prevention. I very much enjoy treadmill sessions too as I love the consistent rhythm it provides with no interruption in pace.
In the lead up to winning Gold in the 10000m at the European Championships in 2014, the treadmill was such a crucial tool in enabling me to achieve this goal. When I crossed the finish line, I couldn’t believe I’d won! I was 40 years of age and just returning to the sport after having our second child, who was born only 10 months earlier. These were definitely not the circumstances I thought would lead to winning a gold medal. I’d gained medals at World, European and Commonwealth level, but I’d never won gold before at a major championship. I became the oldest ever European Champion, so there was a lot of banter about my age which was all good fun! Even Steve Cram and Brendan Foster shouted out my age during the final stages of my race on the commentary!
To achieve my goal, training had to be very flexible and adaptable, and the treadmill had a huge part to play in enabling this to happen. It was so instrumental in helping me maintain fitness whilst pregnant, and to manage my training after our baby was born.
Emily was born in September 2013 and we also have Jacob who was born in September 2009. My husband Gav and I felt so happy and we really ensured that we enjoyed that special newborn time after each of our children were born. Previously I’d presumed I’d be retired from international competition by 2013, but in 2012, I found myself running a pb for 10000m at the London Olympics. So with this in mind we thought that perhaps we could give it a go to try to make the team just one more time, medals were definitely not in our thoughts!
Using the Treadmill when Pregnant
During pregnancy I wanted to stay active but of course in the forefront of my mind was to listen to my body and put the health of the baby first. The treadmill became the perfect solution, it allowed me to run in a completely controlled environment and to avoid any unnecessary risks. I could adjust the pace at any time, stop if something didn’t feel right, and avoid the dangers of uneven ground or slippery pavements. On hot days, I could run in an air-conditioned room without worrying about overheating, which is so important during pregnancy.
Running on a treadmill also helped manage the impact on my joints, especially in the later stages. The cushioned surface was much softer than pounding the pavements. It therefore helped to reduce injury risk that can come with the effects of pregnancy hormones such relaxin - which loosens joints, and ligaments. I always made sure to listen to how I felt and take each day as it came, but having the treadmill there meant I could keep running due to the safer and more controlled environment it provided.
Running After Having a Baby and Breast Feeding Challenges
After both Jacob was born in 2009 and Emily in 2013, the treadmill was so valuable. As much as I was keen to get back to running, I ensured I enjoyed the wonderful happiness of having a new baby and of course life as a mum with a newborn was also full of challenges. Breastfeeding meant I was constantly on demand, especially with Emily, who wouldn’t take a bottle of expressed milk. It made it really difficult to leave her for any length of time, but with the treadmill I didn’t have to. I could run while she was asleep in her cot or moses basket, knowing I could stop at any moment if she needed me. And it also enabled me to run at random times when it became possible.
My husband Gavin is my coach, and he’s always been so supportive, but there were plenty of times when he wasn’t around and I still needed to fit my training in. The treadmill gave me independence to train on my own schedule when the opportunity arose.
As any new parent knows however, sleep deprivation is a real issue. So I also actually found the treadmill enabled me to exercise when I lacked the time or energy to prepare feeds and everything else that would be needed to leave the house even if another adult was there.
With both pregnancies I’d needed a caesarean which made a return to running slightly more tricky. The treadmill was an absolute blessing in allowing me to boost my aerobic fitness in those early days. The healing time needed after a Caesarian meant I couldn’t cope with impact at first. But I was able to put the treadmill on a very steep incline and do power walking sessions which were actually very demanding! Removing the impact of running was also good for my joints, bones and muscles as I made my way back to fitness. The treadmill was in a small shoe cupboard room and people who saw it commented on my motivation to train in a cupboard! Now that I was no longer pregnant I chose not to use an air conditioning machine so it got unbearably hot in there too! I feel this provided an excellent means of heat training which seemed to massively boost my fitness and was a great substitute for going on a warm weather camp!
I’ll always be grateful to the treadmill for it’s role in enabling me to achieve something that I’d thought would probably no longer be possible. If you relish the challenge of achieving your goals when things might seem a bit more difficult, you’ll often find you can find a way.
Every mum’s experience is different, and it’s so important to listen to your body and do what feels right for you and of course act on any medical advice regarding your personal pregnancy and exercise. But if you’re able to and you’re wondering how to keep running through pregnancy or life with a newborn, don’t underestimate how helpful a treadmill can be, even if you have to squeeze it into a cupboard like I did!
I’m using a Noble Pro E10i treadmill which I’m so impressed with. If you are interested in purchasing a new treadmill you can use the link below to receive a discount off of a Noble Pro:
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